In his recent letter, Mr. Mattila informs us that defunding the police is a cause for increased retail theft (“Becoming ungodly causes problems,” Our Readers’ Views, Nov. 24). A simple search of the internet provides numerous contradicting research. One analysis of more than 400 U.S. municipal budgets found that police departments in America got more or less the same amount of money in 2021 than they did in the previous three years.
Next, he says that God “gave us a user’s manual.” Rules to be observed in this manual include: no going to church within 33 days after giving birth to a boy (66 days for having a girl); trimming your beard; getting tattoos; no working on the Sabbath; no killing a burglar in daylight hours; no working with astrologers. The consequences for violating many of these rules is death.
The kinder and more challenging “user’s manual” is described in Matthew 25:35-40. This includes feeding the hungry, taking care of widows and children, welcoming strangers, clothing the poor, taking care of the sick and visiting prisoners. Delivering this will require that we all fight for positive change through radical kindness and communal responses for change, which seems to model Jesus’ approach.
